News

It doesn’t take long for art to imitate life, as evidenced with virtual live productions of life amid COVID-19 scheduled this week on Twitch TV. The Canadian Wiggler, written, directed and produced by RIT's David Munnell, uses virtual reality and actors in a live webcast. It is set in May 2020, when the coronavirus lockdown is taking its toll.

RIT is hosting a virtual event to raise money for the COVID-19 Emergency Fund, Division of Diversity and Inclusion General Support Fund, and other funds that directly impact students. "Tigers Helping Tigers: An Event to Move Students Forward" will include pre-recorded performances from RIT students and student groups and will be streamed online.

President David Munson and Provost Ellen Granberg are announcing an accelerated fall academic calendar, with the semester beginning Aug. 19, all in-person classes concluding by Nov. 24 and final examinations to be administered online.

Consumer Reports talks to Evan Selinger, professor of philosophy, about the impact of IBM shutting down its facial recognition business.

WXXI’s “Connections” program features Irshad Altheimer, associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and director of the Center for Public Safety Initiatives.

RIT is hosting an online interfaith vigil titled “Calls for Justice at RIT” at 7 p.m. June 5 in response to the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent demonstrations against the systemic racism and police brutality that continue to affect black and brown people across the U.S.

RIT plays a starring role in the April virtual wedding of Zahal Kohistani ’15 and former Tiger Thomas Doolittle. The couple met while they were students living in Global Village. Their first date was at SpringFest. They got engaged in front of Salsarita’s. They celebrated their engagement at the Joseph M. Lobozzo Alumni House. And they were married on Zoom by Kelly Redder, executive director of the Lobozzo Alumni House.

NBC News talks to Christine Keiner, professor and department chair, Department of Science, Technology, and Society, about the history of eating oysters in the Northeast.

RIT continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with the creation of the Fall Planning Task Force and the work of three committees.

RIT will distribute nearly $5.2 million in emergency federal funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to assist students with unexpected costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

LaVerne McQuiller Williams, senior associate dean of RIT’s College of Liberal Arts, has been named interim COLA dean effective June 1. McQuiller Williams succeeds Dean James Winebrake, who is leaving RIT on June 30 to become provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. 

RIT will make submitting ACT and SAT scores optional for prospective students applying for admission for fall 2021 and beyond. RIT joins a growing number of colleges and universities who are no longer requiring applicants to submit their test scores.